Growing up, my brother was, like most older brothers, mean.  He used to tease me unceasingly and use every opportunity to embarass me.  Normally, I gave him what he deserved for his cruelty.  However, I remember several ocassions when his rude comments would cause me to lose my breath.  He would tell me how dumb I was and point out how smart he was, "just like mom and dad" he'd say and then the kicker, he would tell me that I was adopted.  I know that most younger siblings have heard this claim more than once but rarely do they stop to consider the possibilty.  For me, though, it made perfect sense that I was adopted.  In the most general sense, I was different from the rest of my family but when it came to specific traits that I assumed must be genetic, I was pitifully lacking.  The reading gene was one that did not appear in my life until my early twenties, while my parents and brother have been avid readers since they were old enough to hold a book. 

As a kid, reading was never enjoyable for me.  Much like many children today, I suspect.  Kids are given lists and lists of books to read and series that they ought to have already read, combined with the dry textbook writing that they must read.  Even with the enticement of reading clubs that reward you with free pizza and other junk, reading can be a chore for kids.  My own son, who is 6 and learning to read, shows interest only in certain books and only at certain times. 

An article in the New York Times reports on the value of summer reading for children.  While I agree in theory, I would hate to be that child who is forced to read when they absolutely abhor it.  In my own case, I avoided reading at all possible costs because I remembered vividly how torturous it was as a child.  Thankfully, now I am over it.  I love to read, however, I rarely get the opportunity to.  I encourage my children to read and will read to them whenever asked, but I'm not forcing anything.  I think they will discover the joy on their own time.   

Have you ever marveled at the sheer number of possible career paths available to today's students?  There are so many options out there that students can't possibly know about them all well enough to make informed decisions about their futures.  How is a child from a small farming town supposed to gain experience, interest, and understanding in the field of structural engineering?  As the Washington Post reports, the opportunity may come in the form of summer enrichment or intership programs offered through the collaborative efforts of public high schools and local colleges and universities. 

Sure, some students have not only the access but also the know-how to follow up on possible career choices for themselves, but there are so many career opportunities that are just not presented into the scope that many students don't find their fit until later in their college careers.  Other careers require experience and time served in different fields before their are even accessible.  But without the knowledge of their existence student's won't even know which direction to pursue.

I am a big fan of the summer enrichment opportunities that allow kids to explore a variety of different academic interests in a non-threatening, non-GPA-affecting manner.  Kids are given the chance to experiment with different career options before making a long-term, expensive committment.  Local business and corporations would be wise to consider developing programs that allow students the opportunity to glimpse the a "day in the life" of whatever their company specializes in.  It's a win/win for the company because it build community relations and potentially assists in recruiting future employees that are well-suited for the job.  

An article in the New York Times describes a situation in Belgium that is interesting and unusual.  Reportedly, Belgium's goverment is essentially non-existant right now because of tensions between the French-speaking and Flemish-speaking citizens.  The nation is at a stand-still because ridiculous laws and historical precedents are creating a difficult, if not impossible, atmosphere for success. 

The majority of the issues center around language and culture that makes each group distinctive.  One would think that Europeans, of all people, would be excited and engaging to those who come from different backgrounds.  The European community as a whole makes up a very small geographical area, however, the diversity of cultures, languages, and ethnicities makes it a veritable melting pot.  It's hard to imagine a country in the midst of this diversity soup that isn't striving to preserve their unique flavor as countrymen but is instead trying to divide and blame.

What does this have to do with learning and training?  At first glance, maybe not much.  As you begin to examine the situation more closely you see that folks are holding on tight, too tightly, to what's happened in the past.  This is preventing any growth or development, both parties are suffering.  Learning can be like that.  We can learn one way and work really hard at doing it well.  Years later a new, better way is developed but we are so tightly wound around the old way that we can't give it up.  Our work and our way begin to suffer.  Change is difficult to accept, but like the Belgians, if we want to succeed and experience harmony, we will have to compromise on some things.     

I'm a procrastinator by nature.  I put things off until the last minute and usually complete the activity with a brief twinge of regret, knowing that if I had started sooner the finished product would have been better.  It's a terrible affliction, procrastinitis.  As an educator, it used to drive me crazy to observe students who were developing the same symptons; always finding something more exciting to do first, working on only the parts that appeal the most, and delaying the start with any possible excuse.  Although I tend to think that I mastered the art of "pulling it off at the last minute", I am sure others would disagree, just as I would disagree with my students who thought that their effort was sufficient. 

As a training executive or learning coordinator, one must encourage their students to learn on a daily basis.  New classes and seminars are exciting and can build momentum but the most valuable learning takes place on the day-to-day level.    Hype and enthusiasm over a new class can be great for building up attendance numbers but if you want to build effectiveness and application, then learning needs to be a progressive, building, daily experience.  Chief Learning Officer agrees that learning is day-to-day.  Click here to read more. 

Folks who waited to attend college will tell you that it is more difficult to go back later.  The kids cramming in the hallway just before their Algerbra exam will tell you that they wished they had studied the night before.  Dissertation authors will tell you that it's not something that can be done overnight.  In other words, don't put learning off.  Start today...and keep going tomorrow.

Teaching is thought of as a realitively safe profession.  However, an article in the New York Times reminds us that for some, curiosity and the desire to know more and share that knowledge, education is dangerous.  Reportedly, a French teacher was arrested over a year ago in Iran after taking some pictures of a political demonstration.  While this case represents the extreme, curiosity is often coupled with danger, or at the very least trouble.  But isn't curiosity at the very foundation of education?  If we lack the desire to know more it is essentially a lack of curiosity.  Curiosity encourages us to seek out the unknown and observe the, as yet, unexperienced.  As the French teacher found out, curiosity is not always viewed as an admirable character trait.  While her pictures were simply taken out of a desire to observe and understand another culture, they were viewed as a threat.  I believe that her need to snap those shots is part of what fuels her as an educator. 

An article in the New York Times highlights the increasing pressure being put on young children.  The article refers to the fierce competition that exists in NYC for children to participate in certain Gifted and Talented school programs.  There were statistics and percentages quoted but my mind focused in on the tidbit that mentioned the great lengths to which parents are willing to go.  For example, some parents hire tutors for their pre-schoolers to prepare them for this testing or screening process.  Others purchase curriculum to aid them in preparation.  And still others send their precious four-year olds off to a preschool that spends a significant amount of time preparing the students for this test.  I am tempted to report these parents for child abuse.  Since when are the words gifted and prepared synonomous?  It seems to me that those students who come from a wealthy background have a much greater chance of being accepted because their financial status affords them the opportunity to pay for whatever it will take to get them in.  I must have misunderstood what it means to be gifted or talented in a particular area. And don't you feel sorry for these kids whose childhood is robbed from them in the name of education?  I don't think it was ever meant to be this way.

My background is in foreign languages.  I find words and their various usages, applications, and meanings very interesting, throw in another language and culture and I'm hooked.  The New York Times has an article that I find fascinating.  Reportedly, because New York City is home to as many as 800+ languages, there is a growing effort to systematically record and catalog some of the endangered languages of the world. What a worthy undertaking!  Language is a window, like no other, into a specific culture.  Once a language becomes extinct the window closes and the culture remains obscure or misunderstood.  I find it very interesting that as our global awareness is raised that the desire to remain distinct and culturally different diminishes. Linguists and native speakers are teaming together to record these languages.  Unfortunately the appeal and pressure to assimilate into the culture is so great that many folks forget there roots or deny those roots which results in the loss of language.  What a great combined effort to preserve history, culture and heritage.

What can we learn from the Olympics as they are broadcast and make headlines across the world?  First, we can examine the lives of those athletes who are participating and conclude that dedication and committment to victory, to being the best, must take priority over everything else.  That, after all, is how those few athletes from each country got there.  They have dedicated themselves to their sport.  Second, we can know that each of those Olympic participants has made great sacrifice in order to gain a place on the Olympic team.  They have probably given up other "hobbies" to train instead.  They have skipped family events to compete.  They have spent money of equipment and supplies to prepare for their events.  Third, we can know that these athletes are persistent.  Certainly, each one competing has not only tasted the sweetness of victory but also the bitterness of defeat.  However, these guys got back up at tried again.  They were persistent, even after loss.  In the education world we can apply the dedication and committment to our profession and to our students.  We already understand the meaning of sacrifice, when it comes to being an Olympic-style educator.  But perhaps, the most important is this idea of persistence.  We should never give up trying to reach a student or trying to improve our game.  We must contiunally pursue excellence through persistence, not just for ourselves but for our students as well.

On the east coast many students are enjoying a break from the typical routine of school and attending classes.  We have had snow and ice create conditions that leave many school authorities no other option than to close school.  Students are home.  Are they diligently pursuing the academics they ought?  It's doubtful, very doubtful. Here we see yet another benefit to online education and training programs.  In whatever kind of weather, class is in session.  Students have the luxury of accessing their educational institution no matter what is falling from the sky.    Complications only arise for those who may experience power outages or who must travel to access the technology necessary to complete coursework. Online education and training programs allow students to have continuity that others might not get.  The ease and convenience of online education is accentuated today because so many in our area are unable to attend their scheduled classes due to the weather. 

An article in the NY Times is reporting on a growing trend in elementary schools to have recess before serving lunch.  The article discusses the benefits, such as increased food consumption, increased attention span in classes after lunch, better behavior during lunch and after, decreased food waste, and more.  Historically, lunch and recess have been approached in order of importance, with nutrition being more important than recreation.  Presently, a shift is being made to the importance of order focusing on the best use of time and most effective way to achieve nutritional balance with physical activity and recreation. Granted, this concept of 'doing the important things first' is not new.  But, perhaps, it should be questioned.  In the workplace, are there tasks that we automatically do first because we view them as more important than the others?  Would our work be more efficient if we re-evaluated to see if those tasks would fit better during another time of the day? Sometimes we need a shake up.  We need to take a fresh look at the same old same old.  Occassionally, when we do this, we will find a new and better way to do the important things in life.